MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Family of autistic child sues Milei over social media posting

Milei has already taken heavy flak for his stance against State aid for handicapped people

The family of 12-year-old Ian Moche, an autism awareness activist, sued Argentine President Javier Milei over an offensive post on X.

On June 1, 2025, the head of State accused Ian and journalist Paulino Rodríguez of politically opposing the government, labeling his family as “ultra-Kirchnerist” and including images of the child with opposition political figures such as Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Sergio Massa. In addition, Milei wrote that “Paulino [was] always on the side of evil? Always on the side of the kukas [Kirchnerites], it doesn't fail.”

The lawsuit, filed before La Plata's Federal Court #4, demands the post's removal and an injunction to prevent similar future posts, arguing it caused moral harm and violated Ian’s best interests as provided for in the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, of which Argentina is a signatory.

“1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration,” the legal document's Article 3 states.

Milei's publication consisted of a repost from the account “Hombre Gris.” It led to harassment, including the spread of Ian’s personal information by Milei’s supporters. The case, filed pro bono by attorney Andrés Gil Domínguez, seeks urgent judicial redress.

The plaintiffs contend that by sharing the message, Milei acted in his capacity as president and not as an ordinary citizen.

Ian Moche has been developing since 2022 an intense task of raising awareness about autism. In March 2024, he had a meeting with National Agency for Disability (ANDIS) Chief Diego Spagnuolo for allegedly saying that “If you had a child with a disability, it is the family's problem, not the State's,” which the official later denied, although the uproar had already been sparked. The child ended up crying on Paulino Rodríguez's LN+ show, which Hombre Gris claimed the interviewer provoked for political gain in exchange for economic favors.

The case was filed both against Milei as an individual and the Nation's Executive Branch. Milei has already taken heavy flak for his stance against State aid for handicapped people.